FDA Authorizes Covid Vaccine Booster Shots

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Fully vaccinated people may receive a booster shot beginning this week if they meet the CDC’s requirements.  

At medical facilities across America, all people who received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may now receive another shot of the Covid vaccine. On its website, the CDC stated, “we are prepared to offer booster shots beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual’s second dose.” 

The FDA on its website included more information on who can get the vaccine in addition to the age policies. 

 “Individuals 65 years of age and older; individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19; and individuals 18 through 64 years of age whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 puts them at high risk of serious complications of COVID-19 including severe COVID-19.” 

The booster shot is equipped to help protect people from the Delta and other variants, which are rapidly spreading across the world and infecting even fully-vaccinated people.  

Amber Mish, the Director of Health and Wellness Services at Williston, said that although the school has had no conversations yet about whether or not Williston will require booster shots for those eligible, “I think that if booster doses are strongly recommended for the population, then Williston will want that to be done.” 

According to the CDC and the U.S. State Department, roughly 658,754 people in the United States alone have died from Covid- 19 and 54 % of all citizens are fully vaccinated. In the world, 219 million people have contracted the virus, and more than four-and-a-half million people have died worldwide.

In Massachusetts there were 1,885 positive cases confirmed on September 22, along with 23 deaths, according to the Mass.gov Covid dashboard.

Soaryn Rutherford, a senior boarder from Hadley, Mass., does not qualify for a booster herself, but feels the shots “should be given to people in other countries who aren’t vaccinated yet.”

The spread of the Delta variant is influencing how Everly Carroll, a senior proctor in Hathaway House, feels about the booster shot.

“I feel like it’s a way to kind of strengthen immunity,” Everly said, “and I feel like right now … it is as important as ever to have a population that is most effectively ready to handle Delta or another variant.”